hello lovelies!
i am so excited to announce my first ever, clickin’ for a cause event, a 100% proceeds charity event benefiting the colon cancer alliance, hosted by yours truly and grounded coffee. you might be wondering how this all works, right? its super fun, easy and a chance to support an awesome charity.
on saturday, march 8th, i’ll be providing complimentary photos to anyone who stops by grounded coffee in alexandria (just off telegraph road!) . in addition to having a very cute mini-photo area and a $1 off coupon for yummy food and drink, you’ll have the opportunity to make a donation to colon cancer alliance in exchange for your complimentary photo.
photos will be done on a first come, first serve basis and will begin at 2:30 and last until 5pm. the sessions will last about 3-5 minutes, enough to capture a few photos that you will be able to download in a password protected gallery about a week after the event. (i’ll send you an email as soon as they are ready!)
donations will be accepted at the time of the photo session. the suggested donation amount is $10-15 per session, but we will gladly accept whatever you can give (more or less!). EVERY bit counts!
march is colon cancer awareness month, and this cause is very near and dear to my heart. my mother was diagnosed with colon cancer just five months ago. the first two months were some of the scariest moments in my life, with my mom having emergency surgery and multiple complications.
she just finished her half way mark of chemotherapy and i amazed EVERY day by her strength and determination to fight. watching her go through this difficult time has made me realize HOW IMPORTANT it is to bring awareness to this disease.
my mom was diagnosed at 63 and never had a colonoscopy. her doctor never pushed her to get one, and even after losing lots of weight, having stomach pains for months, her doctor didn’t think she needed to see a gi doctor. luckily my mom found a guardian angel on labor day – a doctor at urgent care that took her condition seriously and set her up with the most amazing surgeon for evaluation.
in addition to this fundraiser, i hope to bring awareness to others about colon cancer- especially those that have parents or friends age 50 or over that have yet to be screened. i never thought to talk to my mom about a colonoscopy – a procedure that can PREVENT colon cancer. if she had regular colonoscopies starting at 50, it is likely her cancer would have been diagnosed much earlier, and potentially removing the need for surgery and chemotherapy.
this idea of doing complimentary photos, grew from an idea to involve grandparents in photos with their grandchildren. one month before my mom was diagnosed with colon cancer, my mother-in-law passed away from pancreatic cancer. those photos of my mother-in-law with her grandchildren i will forever cherish. when was the last time you or your family took a professional photo with your grandparents? in honor of my mom, i hope you bring them over to grounded coffee on march 8 and help us to celebrate colon cancer awareness month! can’t wait to see you!
colon cancer alliance is the leading national patient advocacy organization dedicated to increasing screening rates and survivorship. over 16,000 people are assisted each year by their patient support team with over 3,700 advocates championing the cause of better research, screening and awareness.
grounded coffee is a down-to-earth local coffee shop in alexandria, virginia, with a bright and cheerful cafe with traditional french pastries and touches of french country décor – the fulfillment of a long held dream of its owners, the husband and wife pastry chef team of Candy and Wilfrid Briffa.
